Track-switch shifter



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. L. W. QUEITSGH. TRACK SWITCH SHIPTER.

No. 402,856. Patented May 7. 1889.

R O T N E V N I WITNESSES:

u. PETERS P'holo-Limngnphar, Wnhingion, ma-

(No Mode 1".) 2 fleets-Sheet 2.

. L. W. QUEITSCH.

TRACK SWITCH SHIFTBR.

No. 402,856. Patented May '7, 1889.

WITNESSES: I

J8. :m I

INVENTOR':

BY AM ATTORNEY.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS \VM. QUEITSCH, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

TRACK-SWITCH SHlFTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,856, dated May 7,1889. Application filed January 19, 1889. Serial No, 296,825. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis WILLIAM QUEITSCH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, re-

. siding at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Track-Switch Shifters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to a track-switch de- Vice for attachment tostreet-cars. The object of the invention is to provide means whereby thecar-driver may, by moving a lever on the car, readily open or close thetrackswitch. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which Figure l is a front elevation showing a crosssection of acar-track and certain parts of the device attached to a car-body, whichlatter is also in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, a part of thecar-body being in section. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of one of thehangers which supports one of the holders.- Fig. 4 is a front elevationof the foot-lever holder. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section showing a topview of the'parts on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is an inverted planor bottom view of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a view of aswitch and shows the position of the shiftingrollers.

' The letter A designates part of the frame of'a car-body; B, theplatform where the driver has position; O, a car-wheel, and D thetrackrails. The leverE has a foot-piece, a, and has two m0vements-anup-and-down and also a lateral movement-and this lever operates. the tworollers F G, which shift the trackswitch.

Two sets of shifting-rollers, F G, and connected parts are employed,each set having position below the car, so that one set will be directlyabove each of the two rails D of the track, and thereby be capable ofshifting switches that may be on either rail. A horizontal bar, J,connects the two sets of rollers. One set of the shifting rollers willnow be described. Each roller is sharp-edged and has bearing in afoot-piece, b and b, on the lower end of a vertical shaft. The firstroller, F, is

carried on the lower end of a shaft, F, which is movable up and down inbearings c on a holder, H, which is movable laterally on a hanger, I,secured by bolts (1 to the oar-frame A. The said. hanger I has twohorizontal slots, 6, and the holder H has on its rear two pins, whichare provided with friction-rollers f, and which fit in the said slots 6.A vertical bar, f, connects the pins and confines the rollers. Thus thefirst roller, F, and its shaft F has twomovements an up-and-downmovement and a lateral movement. the lateral movement of roller F (bywhich is meant a movement in a direction that is crosswise of thecar-track) is shown in Fig. 5. It will be seen, also, from Figs. 5 and 7that the first roller, F, always maintains the line of its edge or rimparallel with the car-track D, which is not the case with respect' tothe second roller, G. This latter turns or oscillates slightly on avertical axis, and thereby the line of its edge or rim takes an obliquedirec tion with respect to the car-track, as shown in Figs. 5 and '7.

The second roller, G, is carried on the lower end of a vertical shaft,G, which is movable up and down, and also oscillates. To provide forthese movements, the shaft G in the The extent of w present instance istubular or has a socket,

first shaft, F, is moved laterally, by causing its holder H to slideacross the' hanger I, the arms 2 will cause the second shaft, G, to0scillate or turn on its vertical axis.

The above description of one set of switchshifting rollers will servefor both sets.

As already mentioned, a cross-bar, J, connects the shafts F of the twosets of rollers. A spring, k, interposed between the upper bearing, 0,and the cross-bar J, serves to press down on the first shaft, F, andthereby tends to depress both of the rollers F G. A spring of this kindis used with each set of rollers.

The foot-lever E has two arms, E, below the platform B, and atreadle-piece, a, is above the floor of the said platform, where thedrivers foot may readily have access to it. Below the platform the twoarms E are each pivoted to a swiveled hanger, L, (see Figs. 2 and 6,)and the rear end of each arm fits loosely in a pivot-box, m on thecross-bar J,

the ends of said cross-bar being secured to the shafts of the holders bymeans of loops F embracing the said ends of the cross-bar, and securedadjustably thereto by means of 5 bolts m, extending through slots at inthe loops. The forward parts of the two arms E are loosely connected bya loop or keeper, n, which is fixed 011 one arm, and through which theother arm passes loosely. It will be seen that the drivers foot maydepress the treadlepiece a, and thereby tilt the two arms on theirpivot-s 0 in the hangers L, causing their rear ends, which fit in theboxes m, to move up the bar J and shifting-rollers F G. The

floor of the platform B has a cross-slot, p, to allow the foot-lever Eto be moved laterally, which may be readily done, as the swiveledhangers L permit such movement. ing the forward part of the twolever-arms o E will slide on each other at the loop or keeper, and theholders ll, shafts F, and rollers F will move laterally, as alreadydescribed.

, In order to retain the foot-lever E in the 5 position the drivers footmay place it, a holder, N, is employed. This consists of a suitableplate or frame secured to the carplatform B and having position above anarm, (1, attached to the foot-lever E and lo- 0 cated above theplatform. It will be seen that this arm g has a path or sweep below thesaid plate or frame N, which latter has a central notch, ogand two endvertical slots, 3. the foot-lever E has the central position, as

5 shown in Figs. 2 and 6, the treadle-piece a must be depressed, and thearm (1 will engage the central notch, o on the holder, and theshifting-rollers will be elevated, as in Figs. 1 and 2.

a \Vhen the driver desires to move the shifting-rollers laterally toeither side, he will place his foot on the treadle-piece a and firstdepress it sufficiently to disengage the arm g from the central notch,r, and then with his 5 foot force it sidewise until the said arm entersone of the end slots, 3. As the arm q rises in the vertical slot s,thctwo lever-arms E will tilt on their pivots 0 and the shiftingrollerswill move down and take the position a shown in Figs. 5 and '7.

The holder N, it will be seen, serves to retain the shifting-rollerswherever they may be set.

The switch T will be acted on as shown in Fig. '7-that is to say, thefirst roller, F, will come between the switch T and the rail- In so do-WVhen 1 flange u and start the switch, and then the second roller, G,with its rim in an oblique direction, will enter and force the switchwide open.

It is quite possible that instead of the two shifting-rollers F G, toact directly on the switch T, some other equivalent devices may beemployed, as two plates or tongues or one roller and one plate ortongue, the movement of said parts, however, to be the same.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, with acar-platform, of a foot-lever pivoted to have an upand-down and also alateral movement, a vertical shaft,

F, carrying at its lower end a roller and movable both up and down andlaterally, a

second vertical shaft, G, carrying on its lower end a roller and movableup and down and also oscillating, and a lateral arm rigidly attached tothe second or oscillating shaft and pivoted to the first shaft.

2. The combination,wi th a car-platform, of two sets of switch-shiftingrollers, one set above each of the two track-rails, a horizontal bar, J,connecting the two sets of rollers, and a pivoted footlever connectedwith the said horizontal bar.

13. The combination, with a car-pl'atform,of two sets of switch-shiftingrollers, one set above each of the two track-rails, a horizontal bar, J,connecting the two sets of rollers, a pivoted foot-lever connected withthe said horizontal bar, and a holder plate or frame, N, to retain thefoot-lever wherever placed.

4. The combination, with a car-platform having a cross-slot, 13, of aswiveled hanger, L, a foot-lever pivoted to said hanger and projectingup through said cross-slot, a laterallymovable holder, H, a verticalshaft, F, movable up and down on the holder,a second vertical shaftpivoted to partly turn or oscillate, and also movable up and down, and alateral arm, 1', connecting the two vertical shafts.

5. The combination,with a car-platform, of an up-and-down and laterallymovable switchshifting roller, F, an oscillating and up-anddown movableroller, G, a foot-lever for moving said two rollers, and connectionsbetween the rollers and foot-lever.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

LOUIS WM. QUEITSCH.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. MORRIS, J NO. '1. MAnDoX.

